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After the championship match between the national teams of Mexico and Iran on Sunday, Mexican coach Ricardo La Volpe was satisfied that after the break, Mexico managed to improve their game and achieve an important victory, while Iranian strategist Branko Ivankovičius stated that the lack of experience determined his team's loss.
"In the first half, we played nervously. The first match of the championship is always tough and the players know that. During the break, we made the necessary changes which allowed us to secure the victory. If we continue to play like we did in the second half of the match, we can achieve a lot in this championship. I have no doubt that this team can play seriously for the full 90 minutes. I thank all the Mexican club presidents for allowing the players to compete in the national team and giving us a lot of time to prepare for these championships," the coach rejoiced.
R. La Volpe also supported goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez's decision to return to the national team: "O. Sanchez's situation showed that sometimes important decisions have to be made. After flying to Mexico, he attended his father's funeral, talked to his family and returned because he wanted to be with us."
The player himself thanked his teammates for their support: "I believe my father was watching me from heaven. Thanks to the team for their support, it's good to feel that your teammates are behind you. I came back to the team because I know my father would have wanted that."
Omar Bravo, named the best player of the match, celebrated the victory: "I thank God, the coach, and my teammates for this win. This is one of the best days of my career."
The striker, who scored two goals, praised both his opponents and the fans: "Iran is a great team, they did not give up and fought until the end. The atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic."
Rafael Marquez was also satisfied with the victory, admitting that this match for Mexico felt like a home game. The defender was pleased that O. Sanchez returned to the team and provided stability.
Meanwhile, in the Iranian camp, the mood was more somber: "Our team is still lacking in international competition experience and it was clearly evident in this match. Now we have another difficult task ahead of us. We need to recover from the loss and prepare for the match against Portugal," said Iranian strategist B. Ivankovičius.
Iran's national team veteran Ali Daei regretted that the team had to lose: "Mexico was not a stronger team. It's unfortunate that we conceded two goals due to mistakes. Mexico made two good substitutions that strengthened their attack. The next match against Portugal is very important for us, so we need to improve our game and win."
